I practically clapped in excitement at hearing the bell over the door jangle in indication of new patrons, but butterflies and sweaty palms took over when I looked up to see tonight’s headliner, Jase Taylor, walking toward me with the cockiest grin, casting a few greetings to the patrons as they watched him magnetically. He looked performance ready, though he was a bit early. Stylishly ripped jeans riding deliciously low coupled with a plain white tee hugging to his chest and arms like the Hulk was about to rip that junk open to reveal the beast beneath there… Off-season didn’t have nothing on the women who flocked in here to watch him sing his fine heart out.
Jase is an incurable flirt, and he has the number of practically every woman to set foot in the place whether he wanted it or not. We have history, though not in the traditional sense. His little sister and I have been best friends since our freshman year of high school, so I’ve been around him on and off over the years. Watching him has always been fun, and he hits on me all the time, but to put it simply, Jase makes my job so much more fun. What woman doesn’t enjoy being played with by some fine man? It lifts me up, but if you want to get personal, I’ve never given him the satisfaction, if you know what I mean. I’m not particularly a fan of the man-whore, player type. I prefer my “encounters” to be more intimate than a one-night stand and a promised call that will never come, and Jase means more to me than that kind of damage. While he’s fun to play with, and I will admit I am guilty of flirting back, Jase knows he hasn’t a chance. On some level, I think it makes me more of a challenge to him, or a safety since I know he never means it where I’m concerned because I’ve always been that little charity case next to the gorgeous model his sister should have been instead of going to college.
Either way, I play his game, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. What’s not to love? He loves to smile and laugh. He is very easygoing and laid-back. He has the looks and body of an underwear model with just enough of a rough edge to give him some street cred with that bad boy flair. Oh, and since I mentioned he performs here, he can also sing really well. I can recall many a time waiting on him to get out of the bathroom at Chelsea’s house, hearing him singing at the top of his lungs in the shower. I had to smile to myself. Those were the things that made this sculpted god of a man a mere human in my eyes.
He sat down on a stool in front of me and took off his ball cap. He set it down on the bar to run his left hand through his light brown hair to try and tame it into some semblance of a style. Good luck with that, sir. Just completely rough sex messy… Not that I really knew what that was like, I just knew it’s what it made me think of. It was his sleeved tattoo on his left arm that drew my real attention, though. Jase was a lefty by nature, and he told me once that any good musician worth his salt will always put his best ink on his playing arm to draw attention to it. He played his guitar with his left hand, but as for drawing attention to his arms, I think you’d have to set a fire to draw attention away from them with or without an intricately badass tatt.
“Hey, Jase, the usual?” I asked him with a sweet smile. “Although, it’s still a little early in the day, don’t you think?”
“Hey, Babe. Too early? Nah, it’s never too early to pay you a visit, sweet Kins.” He gave a charming quirk of his eyebrows to compliment his signature panty-dropping, lopsided grin and nodded. “Yes, Kamikaze, please. I am actually meeting someone, that’s why I am early.”
I nodded and turned around to the alcohol. Kamikaze. So typical of Jase. I wasn’t sure Jase knew he was such a cliché or not, I wondered, as I reached for the vodka. I am only five foot two, so I have to pretty much stretch to reach everything; stool for the top shelf. I could feel him studying me as I worked. I put everything in the shaker and turned back around.
There were no other women in the bar at the moment, and since I was his only eye candy, I made sure to face him while I shook his drink. His smile grew wider, and his eyebrow raised. We laughed as I poured it into his shot glass and pushed it in front of him. Before he could say anything, I slid another one to him. He took the first shot, winked at me, and downed the second, running his tongue across his teeth. “Thanks, Kins. Slow day so far?” he asked as he took a confirming look around the place. He leaned across the bar and seemed to be waiting for me to make conversation. I wanted to release the breath I had just sucked in at his closeness, but it would completely give me away. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded. What can I say? I have always gotten a little nervous making conversation with Jase. Plus, I am not that talkative unless I am working tips or close to you. Jase has been coming here long enough to know this about me, and while we are close, Jase’s closeness affected me in ways I had to say prayers of forgiveness for. He knew what he was doing. I lifted one corner of my mouth while rolling my eyes, pretty much admitting defeat while I released my heavy exhale. I turned and slapped his arm.
“You’re such a brat, Jase.”
“Uh, huh, but that’s why you love me. Admit it, you’re smitten. Too afraid of the way you feel about me, that’s why you avoid my every advance…” He was only a few inches from my face now, and his forehead was almost touching mine as he leaned in closer. Eek!
“Uh, huh, that’s why,” I told him dryly, barely keeping my face neutral, determined to hold my ground come hell or high water in my competitive nature.
His face was serious, but his eyes held mischief. “If you want, we can totally explore those feelings after you get off of work,” he breathed, his voice intentionally low. Dang, he was laying it on thick, and it was still early in the day! He reached up and held my chin in his fingers, pulling my face toward his. His thumb ran across my bottom lip. I swallowed reflexively. Oh…
The bell over the door jangled again, and I looked up to see who was coming in. Jase groaned in protest. “Aw, Jase, that’s too bad, you almost had me that time,” I purred coquettishly. I pulled away from him and began wiping the bar as he chuckled in response. I smiled, partially out of relief. Literally saved by the bell. He was good.
A guy walked up to Jase, and Jase turned to give him a guy hug. You know, that hug that guys do where they grasp a hand and throw the other over each others shoulders? Hmmm… I couldn’t help but be curious. Jase didn’t have too many men he showed affection for. Nix that, I had never seen him treat any other man like this. Interesting.
“Hey, Babe, get us a couple beers over here,” Jase said absently. I didn’t answer him right away, so he looked up at me. “Sorry, Kins, I meant will you please get us a couple beers over here?” he smiled sheepishly. Oh, now he was playing at well-mannered and adorable? Psh! Yeah right, mister!
I just smiled, “Sure, Jase.”
I couldn’t help but eavesdrop out of curiosity over the conversation playing out between the two men behind me as I grabbed their bottles and pulled off the caps. They were exchanging the normal pleasantries, asking about each others families and such. There was a short pause in their conversation as I placed the beer in front of them. I was a suddenly taken aback by the blue eyes that met mine at that moment. I gasped, and it was so obvious that I turned quickly in embarrassment. I cursed my stupidity silently and forced myself to relax and smile before turning back around. Playing at indifference, I asked if they needed anything else. I think I was believable… Possibly… Jeez…
TDH. That’s the label we give the “Tall, Dark, and Hot” guys who walk in here. For all they knew it was bartender lingo for a type of drink. Fairly convenient. Only right now, there were no other females to share in admiring this particular TDH with. Dang it. Such a shame. Maybe he will still be here when Kayleigh comes in. It would certainly be a shame for her to miss out on those preppy good looks. He was clean-cut for the most part, but held a definite edge that had you thinking twice about that assumption, almost authoritative. Just the fact that he was so attractive was enough to hold your attention long enough to want to figure him out.
I finished wiping down the bar and grabbed a tray to make rounds by
cleaning up the tables and handing out more beer and refills to the regulars. When I came back to check on the guys, they seemed to be done talking about the business they had and were now focused on me as I disposed of their empties. I ran my towel quickly over the place where the bottles had been, and Jase reached out, capturing my hand with both of his. He placed it to his lips and proceeded to introduce me to “TDH” while I hoped he didn’t notice how sweaty it might have been in that very instant at such intimate contact.
“Kinsley, this is Keane. Keane, this is Kinsley James, bartender extraordinaire, my sister’s best friend,” he cleared his throat and took his left hand away to adjust an imaginary tie like an ass, “and the future Mrs. Taylor.” Jase smiled extra naughty on that last part. Oh, Jase’s naughty smile! Gulp! I giggled like a moron under Jase’s stupidity.
Well, I did until TDH grabbed my hand from Jase and also placed it to his mouth. I felt myself blush like a dang fool, but I couldn’t make myself look away from his piercing eyes. So pretty. They stared assessably which I found very interesting. “Keane Keller, Miss James, very nice to meet you,” he said with a tinge of southern hospitality laced in his tone. I grinned immediately, then put my fist over my mouth with a dorky ‘oh!’ to go with his dig at Jase. They both chuckled before Jase pretended to be wounded with a narrow-eyed sexy look in my direction. I pulled my hand from my mouth with a huge smile, totally grateful to my parents for those miserable braces all those years ago, for without which I might feel less than adequate next to Mr. Keller’s own dazzling smile.
He placed my other hand back down onto the bar, but kept his hand cupped over it. I looked down in amusement, then back up at him, but he didn’t seem to think there was anything that needed to change. Should I let my hand stay there? Yes! Instead, I slipped it out from under his and rolled my eyes at his flirty sound of disappointment. What? I couldn’t keep it there, I don’t want him to think I’m easy. I asked Jase how they knew one another, and he looked pleased by the question. “We served in the military together. He also happens to be my very best friend. Grew up together before my family moved here,” Jase beamed at his friend with pride. Aw! That was pretty adorable.
Jase’s family moved here when he was in the eighth grade. He was pretty much an instant hit from that point on, very well known. Even though I was three years behind him in school, I knew of him through Chelsea. By the time I was a freshman, Jase was that hot senior that every girl pined for and habitually made total fools of themselves around. After graduation, he had gone into the military where he only got better looking and his physique was only enhanced, I’m sure through all the rigorous training. Right now, I was trying not to blatantly appreciate that feature so much.
No matter, there was definitely a bromance going on between these two, and it was nice to see Jase show open love for someone. Since I am unfortunately ignorant on all things military outside of the mental issues that one may suffer from after serving, I made conversation about their childhood together. I alternated between them, serving guests, and cleaning tables. Before I knew it, an hour and a half had gone by like it was nothing.
The crowd was getting thick as the early evening guests began making an appearance. Kayleigh and Johnny, my fellow bartenders for tonight, showed up with kisses to my cheek in greeting. Our manager, Tom, was also around overseeing everything. Pretty soon our bouncers would show up. Jase and Keane had made it over to the stage at the other end of the bar, setting things up for Jase’s gig in about an hour. The rest of the band began arriving, and they ran cords, set up the drums, did mic and sound checks, and tuned guitars. Keane helped throughout the process, and it seemed he was planning on staying for the duration. I couldn’t help but hope that was the case. As I worked, I would catch him watching me every so often. I admit it put a spring in my step and an extra brightness to my smile. Kayleigh was definitely glad not to have missed out on checking this TDH out. Johnny simply rolled his eyes and told us that he was all the eye candy we needed. Love him!
When it was about five minutes before they were to go on, I gathered the band’s favorite drinks and brought them over, Kay and I deciding to test the handsome Mr. Keller by adding a Perfect Pour for him. We sometimes did that with the hot men that came through here based on what kind of guy they looked like. On occasion we played a game where the bartenders had me read people based on what drinks they ordered.
“Hey guys! Jase, brought you two more Kamikazes. Mel, Rusty, here’s your beer, and Keane I didn’t know what you wanted, but I figured you for a Johnnie Walker man? It’s Blue Label, and here’s some ice water to go with it. Let me know if you would like something different, and I will be happy to get it for you. Hey guys, same goes for the rest of you. Holler if you need me,” I smiled at all them, but made sure to catch Keane’s eye as I turned on my heel.
“I need my kiss,” Jase told me absently as he finished tuning his guitar.
“Oh, you thought I forgot?” I teased with a roll of my eyes and a grin. Jase argued that he had particularly good nights when I kissed him on the cheek before his shows. Once, I was too busy, and he felt his performance had been subpar. Tips were low for the whole band. Personally, I blame the fact that it was a very slow night that night. First week of off-season and all. Since then, the whole band, along with Jase, of course, insisted on that superstitious kiss. I didn’t mind it too much for obvious reasons.
I walked to Jase’s side, leaning in for his cheek. At the last second he turned his face so that it landed smack on his lips, which opened just enough to pull at mine. Oh! Yum! Holy hell! I pulled away and smacked his arm as I wiped my mouth. “Seriously, Jase, talk about an elementary school move! I can’t believe I fell for that. Shame, shame, shame, mister!” I waved my finger at him in playful disapproval. The guys all chuckled while they buttoned up.
He gave me that stupid grin, so there was no way I could be mad at him. “Damn, Baby, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he high-fived Keane. “How about we do it like that from now on! What do ya say, guys? Don’t you feel like tonight we might leave here wealthy men now?” He looked back at the band, and they all heartily agreed. When they noticed my raised eyebrow, they all had something else they needed to look at just then, scores of throats clearing.
“Uh, huh, that’s what I thought. Have fun, boys. And, Jase, this better be your best night yet,” I turned and smiled sweetly at Keane right before I walked away.
“Already is, Baby!” he called with a laugh. I could hear their high-five as I made my way to a table for orders. I just rolled my eyes and grinned like a school girl. Pathetic.
I am not that girl that pines for a man’s attention. You know, the one that deliberately attracts attention to herself in order for him to notice that others notice her, too? Only tonight, that’s exactly how I felt. I am usually very good about ignoring the advances I get throughout my shifts, tonight I let myself absorb them. When men flirted, I laughed and thanked them with a huge grin and that classic arm slap or flip of my hair.
I admit, Jase was very much on tonight. He was covering Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, to name some of the biggies, and he was doing a fine job of it. The dance floor in front of the stage was growing thick with couples, and there were several women who had made their way near the edge of the stage to get a close up view of that lead singer as they mingled animatedly with drinks in their hands, eager for the moment when he might possibly need to change shirts from sweating it out under the lights. I went back around the bar to make some more drinks, and TDH was there when I turned around. I involuntarily beamed a wide smile at him. Again. Breathe, Kins…
“Hey, can I get you something? Did you like the Perfect Pour, or would you like something different?” I had to yell to be heard over Jase and the band. He leaned in very close to my ear. My pulse picked up. He smelled so good. Obsession and leather from the jacket he was wearing. I tried not to inhale too sharply, though I wanted to. Obsession has always been a fave o
f mine. My daddy used to wear it at one point.
His breath was hot against my ear. “The Perfect Pour was exactly that. You nailed it.” Sweet! He pulled back, giving me a rewarding smile. Oh, his smile was one that you felt down to your toes. Bright, wholesome, perfect. My own toes were curling in my shoes at the moment. He leaned back in, “I will have another if you don’t mind. I’ll take it here at the bar, I’d rather watch from here, Miss James.” Did I mention my heart was pounding? I had the slightest hope that maybe he was hitting on me.
Just then Kayleigh bounced up to my side and beamed her own bright smile at him. Her blonde hair was pulled back with a black bow at the base of her ponytail, complimenting all that pep nicely. “Hi! I don’t believe we have met, I’m Kayleigh, Kinsley’s friend and lovely co-worker.” She extended her hand, and I noticed he only shook it. Not the kiss he gave mine. “If you need anything while Kinsley is busy, I will be more than happy to take care of it.” Her voice was intentionally husky, and she made sure she was leaning down to give him a look at her cleavage as she spoke, alluding to just exactly what she would be willing to take care of. She resumed her peppy persona and walked away, a little extra sway to her hips as she winked at him over her shoulder.
Oh brother, that girl, that was Kay. She was wild, fun, openly slutty, but somehow you couldn’t hate her for it. Hmmm, come to think of it she was like a female version of Jase! How funny that I had never put that together before. You would think that the two of them would be perfect for each other, but they actually couldn’t stand to think of one another that way. Maybe they were too much alike. Kindreds?
I served him the Blue Label neat in a snifter alongside another glass of ice water and gave him a cocktail napkin as he watched Kay bounce away. Should’ve known. I am just another insignificant woman in a bar that he wanted to flirt with. Oh well. I served a few flirty regulars down the way, and my smile was back in place as though it had never left. Mission accomplished.
Don't Close Your Eyes Page 4
